ISSUE 1.31

Power and Pain

Power literally causes an inability to empathize and read people even when you're trying to empathize because people start being sycophantic towards you, not delivering you real feedback, and having to follow all your orders. Another great paradox of the world: as you gain in power, you lose that same ability that helped you gain the power in the first place.

This is a phenomenal long-read into the potential of Russia's cyberwar machine, not to just disrupt computers and IT infrastructure but the physical infrastructure that we use to survive. Starting with a depiction of a suspected attack on the Ukaine power grid, blacking out the city, it continues to explore cyber-to-infrastructure attacks over the last several years. If you're fascinated by the Stuxnet virus, you'll be all about this one.

This is a fascinating (and delectably visual) data research project into the constitution of Facebook's employees and executive leadership by exploring the social structure and power relation within the company. "In short, [it] will deal with the phenomenon of digital capitalism." Tying in the idea of a "knowledge labour aristocracy" and describing employees around The Zuck as those "who rule or serve", this is a fascinating (and incredibly dystopic) read. Also, god, some of the old-school artwork referenced in here is sick. I mean, check out that fucking ruling king guy, holy shit.

OK, this has nothing to do with anything. I just love it so, so much. Although I guess you could argue that a potential future where genetically enhanced bovines and equines have been uplifted to a state of human intelligence alongside the continued farmed slaughter of millions of cows and encountering their own worth as plastic-wrapped, commoditized ground-up meat is possibly the darkest, most Glitchet future imaginable. Oh... I gave myself a sad.

Warning: loud, scrapey, and intense. A compilation of several years of footage condensed into 6 minutes for your viewing pleasure. Also, the way these robots is a little unnerving. Twitchy, jumpy, like violent crickets equipped with massive metal flaps and motors attached. Also, I can't get over my impression of them as tiny printers or paper shredders with attitude. I think they're also pre-programmed, as in not human-controlled, because of how quickly they move and the way some of them make extremely symmetrical patterns. What a weird, neat hobby. I'll be honest, I kind of wish it were more like Robot Arena 2.

Apple has been known for its incredibly secretive intellectual property protection practices (even people working next door to other departments don't know what those departments do), but this expose reveals an anti-leak force involving "former NSA agents, secrecy members on product teams, and a screening apparatus bigger than the TSA". A fascinating look into the secrecy-obsessed culture of Apple--and the people working to circumvent it.

Way's Notes

Hey!

Goodness, is it already another week? How the time flies. How our minds drift and snap back to reality; how memories seem immediate. It's because they lack those other memories--the ones between then and now, which impress time past upon us. It never ceases to amaze me how you can look back a year and think, "How long ago that was!" and yet simultaneously say "But it feels like only yesterday!" That's because time is an illusion. A linear fabrication of our mind's interpretation of experience.

Go ahead, ye lords of capitalism - make your money while the earth still stands! (No, I'm kidding, don't. Please be sensible and kind, because as much as time may be an illusion I'd like as much of that illusion as possible. Cool? Not cool? That's what I thought. You complete and utter jerks.)

OK, that's much better. (How easily you are plied by music--don't you know that emotions are an illusion, too? (Gah! Enough! Stop.)) Anyways. I hope your Monday is going as weirdly, lovelily, as mine probably will be--will be, because I write these signoffs on Sunday night. Hello from 9 and a half hours ago. You're lovely and I want to shake your hand.

(What? I'm not gonna get all weird with you. We don't know each other that well.)

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